Lawrence and Douglas County

Animals suspected in maulings are killed

Authorities in Tennessee caught a black bear Sunday in an area where a little girl was mauled and scheduled tests to see whether it's the one that attacked the group of hikers.

U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Sharon Moore said authorities found a bear in a trap near the site of an attack that killed a 6-year-old girl and injured her brother and mother. Moore said the bear fit the description and weight of the bear that attacked the family Thursday near Benton.

Wildlife officers euthanized the bear on Sunday and sent its body to the University of Tennessee's College of Veterinary Medicine in Knoxville to compare it with fur samples taken from the site of the attack. A necropsy will be conducted today.

The little girl's brother was in fair condition, and her mother was in critical on Sunday. Doctors expect both to recover.

Meanwhile in Boulder, Colo., a wildlife officer on Sunday shot and killed a female mountain lion that attacked a 7-year-old boy hiking with his family.

The 80-pound cat had bitten the boy's head. The child also suffered puncture wounds and scrapes on his legs, likely from the animal's claws, Division of Wildlife spokesman Tyler Baskfield said.

Boulder County sheriff's officials said the boy's injuries were not life-threatening. He was hospitalized at The Children's Hospital, where officials would not release his name or condition.

A necropsy was planned to try to determine whether the animal was diseased or had another reason to attack, Baskfield said.